How to Earn Money Renting Out Items You Already Own in Alicante
Most people living near the coast accumulate gear gradually. A paddleboard bought four summers ago. A set of folding beach chairs used maybe six times a year. A bike that sits in the shed from October through May. A baby carrier and travel cot left over from when the kids were small.
This gear has already been paid for. It's taking up space. And from June through September, thousands of tourists within walking distance of your home would pay to borrow exactly these things for a few days.
Turning idle items into income doesn't require a business license, a storage unit, or more than an hour of initial setup. Here's how to do it practically.
Step 1: Identify What You Have Worth Listing
Start with items that tourists and visitors actually need for short trips. The most consistently in-demand categories in coastal cities like Alicante are:
- Beach gear: umbrellas, sun loungers, parasols, sand toys for kids
- Water sports: paddleboards, kayaks, snorkel sets, wetsuits, fins
- Bikes: city bikes, folding bikes, e-bikes
- Baby and family gear: travel cots, strollers, high chairs, baby carriers
- Tools: drills, sanders, ladders (for urban renters doing minor work)
- Electronics: portable speakers, cameras, GoPros
The test is simple: would someone visiting for four days want this, and would they struggle to bring it with them on a flight? If yes, it's worth listing.
You don't need to list everything at once. Start with one or two items to understand the process and see whether they get inquiries before adding more.
Step 2: Create Your Listing
On Aitana Go, creating a listing takes under 60 seconds once you have a photo ready. Here's what makes a good listing:
Photos matter more than description. Take the photo in good light, ideally outdoors. Show the item from the angle a renter would care about. For a paddleboard, that's a side profile showing condition. For a beach umbrella, that's it set up and open. One clear photo is better than four blurry ones.
Price competitively but not too low. Look at what beachside rental shops charge, then price 20-40% below that. A paddleboard at €15-20 per day makes economic sense for renters who'd pay €30-40 at a commercial shop, and it's meaningful income for you. Beach umbrellas with chairs might be €6-10 per day. Bikes typically go for €8-15 depending on type. The app accepts prices from €1 to €50 per day, with optional deposits up to €500 for higher-value items.
Be honest about condition. If the paddleboard has a small scratch, say so. Renters who receive what they expected leave good reviews. Renters who feel misled leave bad ones, and your rating affects your future bookings.
Set accurate availability. You can mark items as always available or set specific date ranges. If you're away in August, block those dates. A booking that auto-declines because you forgot to update availability wastes everyone's time.
Once the listing is saved, it appears in map search results within seconds, geotagged to your location automatically.
Step 3: Understand How Bookings Work
When a renter books your item, you receive a notification and have two hours to confirm or decline. The renter's payment is captured only when you confirm, so there's no money movement from unconfirmed requests.
If you don't respond within two hours, the booking auto-declines and the renter is notified. This protects renters from being left hanging, but it also means you need to be reasonably responsive during your listed availability window.
When you confirm, the renter gets your pickup instructions. You handle the handover directly, mark it as handed over in the app, and the rental clock starts.
On return, you both confirm the item is back and undamaged through the app. The deposit hold releases automatically. Then both of you get 24 hours to leave a rating.
Step 4: Handle the Money Side
Payments go through Stripe. For free-tier users, payouts settle within three business days of a completed rental. Pro users can opt for instant payouts.
Deposits work as holds, not charges. The renter's card has the deposit amount held at booking but not actually charged. If you return the item undamaged, the hold is released without any money moving. If there's damage, you have 24 hours to file a claim and the held amount covers it.
The service fee is charged to the renter on top of your listed price, so what you see in your listing is what you earn per day, minus Stripe's standard processing.
Step 5: Build Your Rating
Your rating shows on every listing and on your profile. New listings with no reviews take slightly longer to get their first booking because renters have no social proof to go on. The fastest way through this is to price slightly below market for your first two or three rentals, get solid reviews, and then move to your preferred rate.
Be responsive, be on time for handovers, and make sure the item is clean and ready. That's the entire formula for maintaining a strong rating.
Step 6: Scale If It Works
The free tier on Aitana Go allows up to three active listings. For most people starting out, that's enough to test demand across a few item categories before deciding whether to invest further.
If your three listings are generating regular bookings during peak season and you have more items worth listing, the Pro plan at €9 per month removes the listing cap entirely. It also gives you priority placement in map search results (your pins appear above non-Pro listings), a Verified Owner badge visible to renters, listing analytics showing views and booking conversion, and double reward points on completed rentals.
The reward points add up faster than you might expect. Each completed rental as an owner earns 100 points on the free tier, 200 on Pro. Those points redeem at local partner merchants, essentially turning a portion of your rental activity into credit at nearby cafés and shops.
What to Expect in Terms of Income
This depends heavily on what you're listing and when. A paddleboard in Alicante during July and August can realistically book 15-20 days out of the month if priced well and if your rating is established. At €18 per day, that's €270-360 from a single item in a peak month.
Beach umbrellas and chairs are lower margin per day but rent more frequently because the barrier for renters is lower. A set renting at €8 per day for 20 days is €160 per month with minimal effort.
A bike available year-round earns less per day in off-peak months but has a longer earning season than pure beach gear.
None of this requires your active time beyond the initial setup and the 10-minute handover per rental. The income is proportional to demand, your responsiveness, and your rating over time.
Getting Started
You can create a free account and your first listing on Aitana Go without any upfront cost. The free tier allows three active listings, full payment processing, and access to the booking and review system. There's no commitment required to try it.
If you're in Alicante or anywhere along the Costa Blanca with gear sitting unused, summer is the highest-demand window. The sooner your listings are live, the sooner they start appearing in searches from tourists planning their trips.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to insure items I list? Deposits provide some protection against damage. For high-value items, check whether your existing home insurance covers items rented to third parties. This varies by policy.
What if a renter damages something? You have 24 hours after return to file a deposit claim. Disputed cases are flagged for manual review. For items where the damage exceeds the deposit, you'd need to pursue this outside the platform.
Can I decline a booking? Yes, within the two-hour confirmation window. If you need to decline frequently, update your availability dates to reflect when you're actually willing to rent.
How do I set the right deposit amount? A deposit of roughly 20-50% of the item's replacement value is a reasonable range. For a €300 paddleboard, a €60-150 deposit is defensible. For a €20 umbrella, a small deposit or none at all lowers friction for renters.
Is there a minimum rental period? Listings are priced per day, and the minimum booking is one day. Renters select their start and end dates at checkout.